I celebrated my birthday this past week in a pretty low-key fashion. I had a couple of interviews and treated myself to an ODB at Voodoo Doughnuts. It’s funny how the significance of the celebration has changed as I’ve aged. As a kid, I had fabulous themed-parties, think Cabbage Patch Kids and Garfield, and the birthday just before sixth grade started was a New Kids on the Block concert at the South Dakota State Fair.
Joey looked at me.
He did.
Of course, my mom made me a birthday cake every year, usually matching the party theme. And of course, she continued to make me a cake every year well into my 30s, but a favorite, angel food, had emerged.
She’s cornered the market on angel food cake. It needs no fruit, no frosting, or no whipped cream. It’s a moist, delicious slice of heaven that requires no plate or fork. To really appreciate Marilyn’s angel food cake, you just cut a portion and break little bite-sized pieces off. You’re past eating cake at that point; you’re partaking in a spiritual communion bigger than the body. You’re ingesting clouds.
It’s transformational.
She should call them “Revival Cakes” and market them as the panacea for all ills.
She even sent me one this week. It even arrived on my birthday. It was packed so well it was almost in perfect shape.
I am not too proud to tell you that I took down Cloud City in three days. Sorry, Lando.
Although I like to bake cakes, I refuse to learn the angel food recipe. All I know for certain is that it requires 12 egg whites and I don’t want to attempt this because I know I could never master it like she has. Cloud maker, I am not.
In honor of birthdays and cakes, I thought it would be fun to photo blog my favorite cakes, so for your viewing pleasure:
TOP TEN SCHOOLY CAKES
10) Killface: What the hell ever happened to Frisky Dingo? Killface was requested by a friend for her boyfriend's birthday. I had never watched the show, so Googling commenced, and then I laughed a bunch. That's a cool thing about making random cakes--you're always learning about something new.
9) 9mm Graduate: What every criminal justice major dreams of at his or her graduation party. The gun is fashioned from Rice Krispies. Snap, crackle, and pop a cap in your...
8) Sushi: Fruit roll-up ginger, fondant wasabi, chocolate soy sauce, and coconut rice.
7) Hello Kitty: A dear friend requested this cake for his wive's birthday and by all the stupid fates aligning, he was in a coma on her birthday. So I brought the kitty to the hospital because he would have wanted that. RIP, Bret.
6) Scrabble Retirement: The cake traveled to Nebraska to celebrate a retirement. And yes, I always check and make sure that there are enough letters to spell out the requested words. Otherwise, I ask for more words. Details matter.
5) Skateboard: A birthday cake for one of my favorite dudes ever. Doughnut wheels. And I learned what trucks are.
4) Hamburger: This was the first time I had a cake in an art show. It was a great conversation piece and I found out I like chocolate Rice Krispies.
3) Spongebob Squarepants: I was super proud of this one. I sort of stepped back and decided that I was getting decent at this cake thing.
2) The Cat in the Hat: I love Dr. Seuss. I always have and always will love him, so I jumped at the chance to create this one.
1) Star Wars: You saw this coming if you know me at all. Balance in the Force here with Vader and R2D2. I suppose on some level this brings out the kid in me and that's why I like it so much.